1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cooling computer systems and to the configuration of a datacenter according to how computer equipment is cooled.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems use electrical energy and produce heat as a byproduct of electrical resistance. Rack-based computer systems include many rack-mounted components in a high-density arrangement, which can produce a considerable amount of heat. Excess heat must be removed from the rack to control internal temperatures and to maintain system reliability, performance, and longevity. In a conventional rack-based computer system, rack-mounted fans move cool air through the rack to remove the excess heat and cool the components. The heated exhaust air must then be transported to a computer-room air conditioner (“CRAC”) that cools the air before returning the cooled air to the data center.
In a conventional datacenter layout, racks in a data center are commonly arranged in an organized hot-aisle/cold-aisle layout to minimize the likelihood of appreciable volumes of heated exhaust air from directly re-entering the racks. A hot-aisle/cold-aisle layout may include alternating hot aisles and cold aisles, with the front of each rack sharing a cold aisle with one adjacent rack and the rear of each rack sharing a hot aisle with another adjacent rack. The CRAC supplies the cooled air to the cold aisles. The air from the cool aisle is drawn into the front of each rack and the heated air is exhausted through the rear of the rack to the hot aisle. The heated exhaust air recirculates through the CRAC to be cooled and returned back to the cold aisles.